A man who attacked police after being stopped for urinating in the street told them he was captain of the Starship Enterprise, a court heard Monday.

Kenneth Clinton, 49, claimed to be the fictional Star Trek character Jean-Luc Picard before punching and kicking at two officers in South Belfast.

He received a 12-month conditional discharge after pleading guilty to indecent behaviour and two counts of assault on police. Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard Clinton, of Brittons Parade in the city, was spotted urinating at Botanic Avenue on July 31 last year.

As police stopped to speak to him he started to walk away with his genitals still hanging out, according to the prosecution. A lawyer told the court that on being asked his name Clinton replied: “I’m Captain Picard of the Starship Enterprise.”

He refused to give more details before squaring up to one sergeant and raising his fists, the court heard. Clinton was then said to have started punching and kicking at both officers. CS spray had to be deployed to calm him down.

One of the officers suffered abrasions and had three fingers bent back in the incident. Clinton later apologised for his behaviour, blaming it on drink.

Defence barrister Sean O’Hare said his client made the wrong decision after learning public toilets were closed.

Mr O’Hare claimed: “Whilst in the process of urinating in public his case is the police officer put a hand on his shoulder and (said) ‘Do you want me to put you on the sex offenders’ register?’”

Acknowledging Clinton handled the situation badly, the lawyer stressed Clinton’s personal difficulties. District Judge Fiona Bagnall decided to take the “unusual course” of imposing conditional discharges based on his mental health issues.

She stressed: “That is not to reduce the severity of what happened, but (due to) the particular circumstances of this individual.”